Collections: History Archives & Library

Images

Voorlezer House

WTD 3020

A postcard with a photograph of the Voorlezer's House that is located at 45 Arthur Kill Road on the property of Historic Richmond Town in Staten Island. The clapboard frame house, which is the oldest known schoolhouse in America, was built during the late 17th Century. The building was built by the Dutch Church as a place of worship, as a school, and as a home for the Voorlezer, who was a lay reader and/or educator.

Medium:
Postcard

Dates: c. 1942 - 1945

Dimensions: 3.5" H x 5.5" W

Signature/Inscription: Voorlezer House. 45 Arthur Kill Road, Richmondtown, Staten Island. Built before 1696, it is the oldest elementary schoolhouse in the country and Staten Island's oldest known building used for religious purposes. Open Saturday and Sunday 2 to 5 p.m., April to October. Admission 25c for adults. Distributed by Personalized Gifts, 552 Richmond Avenue, Staten Island 2, New York. Progressive Publications, INC., 244 W. 49th St., N.Y. 18, N.Y.; Reverse